


Welcome to the family (You're safe now)

by arfrid



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Neil Hargrove, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, BAMF Nancy Wheeler, Child Abuse, El has a crush on Max, F/F, Gen, NEIL GETS SHOT!!!, Neil Hargrove Being an Asshole, Neil Hargrove is His Own Warning, Neil Hargrove's A+ Parenting, and that's fucking adorable, bro hopper bouta fucking throw hands, yay!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:14:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27839683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arfrid/pseuds/arfrid
Summary: El witnesses Max getting abused. (Pre-Elmax)
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Jim "Chief" Hopper & Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Neil Hargrove & Maxine "Max" Mayfield
Comments: 2
Kudos: 38





	Welcome to the family (You're safe now)

**Author's Note:**

> NEIL GETS FUCKING SHOT LET'S GO!

El likes walking past Max’s house.

I mean, she wouldn’t say she likes it, and it’s not like El likes Max, obviously, but Max’s hair looked very nice today and her eyes, gods her _eyes_ -

Okay, yeah, she’s ranting now.

The point is, she _may_ or _may not_ go home straight after school to go the long way past Max’s house.

She whistled on her way there because she just wants to see Max wave and smile at her as per usual.

Yeah, El is definitely gay (or… pan) for Max, what about it?

What she was _not_ expecting, was to not see Max at the window.

She frowns and watches the window for a few seconds, hearing raised voices inside the house. Max backs out of a room, shouting, as a man, who El assumes is her step-father,  yelling back at Max.

El freezes, transfixed. Surely this isn’t a normal occurrence, right? Parents and kids have arguments, it’s not unusual, right? Her and her dad fight occasionally.

So why does this feel worse?

El is contemplating going forward and knocking on the door to stop the argument when a resounding slap hits her ears.

She looks back up to see Max wincing, grabbing at her cheek, and her step-father, hand raised. She’s cowering now slightly, making herself seem smaller to the man in front of her, and he grabs her by the front of her jacket and shoves her into the wall, then punches her in the gut, still shouting. Max doubles over, grabbing her stomach, and her step-father uses the advantage to shove her to the floor.

El stares for a few more seconds, before she  whips her phone out really quickly and calls her dad.

“Hey, you’ve reached Jim Hopper, how may I-?”

“Dad!” El gasps, cutting him off. “Dad, you need to come. Max’s house, 4819 Cherry Lane, please, dad, hurry!”

“El, what’s--?” Hopper asks, and El hears scraping of chairs and jangles of keys.

“Her step-dad is hitting her!” El’s crying now. “Please, just hurry!” 

“I will! I’ll be right there, I promise!”

He ends the call and a familiar car stops right beside her.

“You alright, El?” Jonathan and Nancy.

El just shakes her head and points at the house, where Max’s step-dad has now pulled Max up off the floor and she’s trying to defend herself and failing miserably.

They both gasp and Nancy opens the car door and then checks through her purse rapidly, pulling out a gun.

Together, they all run forward towards the house. Jonathan slams open the door and yells “FREEZE!”

Nancy levels her gun at Max’s step-father, who has a bruised and bloodied fist and Max is shaking, cowering on the floor,  trying her best to get away.

The man reeks of alcohol, and Max’s mom is nowhere to be seen.

“Pointing a gun at me, bitch?!” The man demands, taking a menacing step forwards. El and Jonathan step back, but Nancy steps forward. The man starts to run when Nancy shoots his knee. He yells out in pain, stumbling to the floor, and El takes the opportunity to leap over the man and run towards Max.

“Max.” The redhead let out a sound like a whimper. Police sirens ring outside, and El looks back at door before turning back to Max. “Max, shh… It’s okay, the police is here, my dad’s here…”

El grabs Max’s hands, and Max flinches at the touch, but then her muscles relax. Her breathing is still heavy, and El helps her up. She’s not even embarrassed about how close they are, putting her arm around Max’s shoulder and saying soothing words.

“El!” Hopper’s voice calls out. Max flinches and hides her head in El’s chest. “Max, are you okay? El said--”

“Dad, please shut up. You’re scaring her. Just let her watch her step-dad be taken away.” She whispers. Her dad looks startled, but nods. Max did watch her step-father be dragged out the house, an ambulance outside as well.

Max’s tensed muscles relax. Her breathing becomes less and less ragged, and she lets out a breath, before Hopper addresses her again.

“Max-”

Before he’s even finished, Max throws her arms around El. El’s face grows hot as she hugs her back, until she hears sobbing.

Max tightens her grip on her, and eventually sighing an earnest  _“Thank you.”_

Afterwards, Max sits opposite Hopper in his Chief of Police office, right next to El.

  
“Max, your father,” He clears his throat at El’s threatening look and Max’s terrified one. “Biological father, had a good custodial battle, but since he lives in California, and didn’t apply for custody beforehand makes us believe he’ll neglect you. So, social services have assigned you to live with me.”

Max and El both gasp, tears shining in Max’s eyes. “For  _real_ ?”

Hopper smiles. “Welcome to the family.”


End file.
